New Delhi: The no-handshake controversy that erupted after India’s 7-wicket win over Pakistan in the group stage of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, continues
to garner the limelight ahead of the Super 4 clash between the arch-rivals. India’s no-handshake gesture against Pakistan didn’t go down well with the Pakistani camp, leading to a full-blown controversy.
In the aftermath of the incident, Pakistan threatened to pull out of the tournament ahead of their final group-stage clash against UAE over the non-removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. However, they agreed to play after claiming that they had received an apology from the match referee for his actions during the India-Pakistan clash on September 14.
As heated debates continue over the incident, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir added more fuel to the fire by sharing a controversial post featuring Virat Kohli. In what appeared to be a dig at the current Indian players, Amir shared an old picture of Kohli gifting him a bat, and called the star batter the best human being in Indian cricket history.
“One thing is for sure, Virat is the best player and human being in Indian cricket history. Respect,” Amir wrote in his post. While the post is a compliment to the person that Kohli is, it also appears to be a subtle dig at Suryakumar & Co. amid the ongoing no-handshake controversy.
Pakistan cancel pre-match conference ahead of Super 4 clash against India
Meanwhile, Pakistan once again cancelled their pre-match press conference on Saturday ahead of their upcoming clash against India in the Super Four stage. Pakistan had done the same ahead of their final group-stage match against UAE before staging the boycott drama, which led to a delay of an hour in the start of the game.
While it is being speculated that Pakistan’s decision to cancel the pre-match conference could be due to no action against match referee Pycroft from ICC, however, it is not confirmed yet. India and Pakistan will lock horns in the Super 4 clash at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on Sunday, September 21. The top two teams from the Super 4 stage will make it to the final, which is set to be played on September 28.
